| Summary/Abstract |
This article analyzes the collective narrative of the Christian-Arameans in Israel and the on-going process of identity building. Pursuing a collective definition alternative to the Christian-Palestinian identity, the Arameans claim indigeneity and peoplehood. With national recognition in Israel and international recognition among the trans-national Aramean community, Israeli Arameans are developing a collective identity and memory that differentiates them from the predominant Arab-Muslim surroundings. After investigating the underlying historical causes comprised of Islamization and a growing Christian-Muslim divide following the Arab Spring, this article explores the Aramean collective narrative and identity, including language, religion, symbols, and folklore. Moreover, it explores the relations to the Zionist dominant narrative in light of the Aramean collective claim to territory, aspiring to re-establish the Maronite village of Bar‘am after its evacuation in 1948 as an Aramean community. This article is based on a variety of sources, including archival, textual, audiovisual material and interviews.
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